Building Citizen Advocacy in Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia

A TB Advocacy Training of Trainers was held in Geneva 1-4 June, 2010 for ten participants from five countries: Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Russia. The Red Cross sent seven participants, the other three came from the International Business Coalition, the International Treatment Preparedness Coalition (ITPC) and the Andrey Rylkov Foundation for Health and Social Justice - all based in Russia.

This training which was jointly hosted by the Red Cross and the Advocacy Partnership at the International Federation offices in Geneva was developed and delivered by Sheila Davie and Becky Owens of the Advocacy Partnership. ‘Expert’ speakers were invited from WHO, The Global Fund and the Stop TB Partnership. The aim was to help participants build advocacy skills and capacity for TB/MDR-TB and enable them to share this with others through their own in-country trainings.

The trainers used interactive training sessions and shared learning, to provide an opportunity for participants to develop practical and relevant advocacy skills.

The following areas were a specific focus for the training:

Building advocacy and communication skills and capacity to impact policy and decision-makers.
Building capacity for working together with others to raise awareness of TB/MDR-TB amongst decision-makers.
Identifying key messages for TB in the regions represented.
Working with the media.
Helping to develop advocacy plans for the next year.
Introducing tools that could be used in developing the in-country trainings.

Noted as particularly valuable sessions by the participants were:

Day 1: Creating goals and SMART Objectives; powerful speaking.
Day 2: Storytelling and the Laser; planning meetings; role play of meetings.
Day 3: Developing key messages; guest speakers.
Day 4: A structured methodology to planning advocacy; the Toolkit.

A Tool kit to help provide a resource for those who have participated in the trainings is in development and is being tested in the countries participating in the Geneva training of Trainers.

During the course of the training all participants designed advocacy and training plans and have made commitments to hold between 19 and 29 trainings that will reach between 291 and 336 others over the comings months. This cascade effect will ensure that the learning from the Geneva training reaches many others in the participants’ home countries.

The participants have requested an evaluation and follow-up session with the trainer(s) in two or three months time.

International journalists visit Russia

On October 19-22, 2009 a delegation of International journalists visited Russia. The visit was organized by the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership in order to familiarize journalists with the Partnership’s activities and the measures taken by the Russian Federation to prevent further spread of MDR-TB. Representatives of the leading media and TV channels from Spain, Portugal, Poland, Switzerland, Belgium and other countries took part in that Media Study Tour.

EU journalist asking questions during press conference at Tomsk TB day care centre

EU and Spanish journalists talking to TB and MDR-TB patients at Tomsk TB Hospital.

Tour Highlights

The tour began on 19 October with a roundtable where leading Russian and foreign TB doctors, Luigi Migliorini, Head of WHO Russia, representatives of Eli Lilly and members of the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership took an active part. Russian journalists also participated in the roundtable discussion. According to V.V. Yerokhin, Director of the Central TB Research Institute under the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, in 2008 the share of MDR-TB among newly registered cases amounted to 23.4% compared to 10.5% in 1999. Among Russia’s regions the highest TB prevalence rate is registered in the Far East (140 cases per 100 thousand people), Siberia (130 cases per 100 thousand people), and the Urals (100 instances per 100 thousand people). The participants highly appraised the activities carried out by the Lilly MDR-TB Partnership in Russia.

The Media Study Tour continued in Tomsk. The participants met with Viktor Kress, Governor of Tomsk Region, and Maxim Zayukov, Head of the Tomsk Region Department of Health. They also visited the Tomsk TB Dispensary and the Tomsk Region TB Hospital, and met with the representatives of the Tomsk Region Department of the Federal Penitentiary Service. Special interest of the journalists was kindled by the activities of social services provided by the dispensary, and the work of the Russian Red Cross volunteers and the personnel of the ‘Sputnik’ Program who carry out outreach work and deliver treatment to MDR-TB patients’ homes.

Sergei Mishustin, Chief Doctor of the Tomsk Region TB Dispensary, said that the region had made considerable progress in TB and MDR-TB treatment in the course of implementation of international projects: “Since 2006 the TB incidence rate has decreased by 6% - from 107.8 cases per 100 thousand people in 2006 to 101.4 cases per 100 thousand people in 2008.” He also pointed out the key success factors in Tomsk Region: integrated high-quality TB service infrastructure with steadfast cooperation among civil and penitentiary sectors; adequate supply of first line and second line anti-tuberculosis medicines and drugs to fight side effects; and early detection of tuberculosis in other health care facilities.

When asked about a recipe for success in Tomsk Region, Dr. Mishustin said: “Our obsession. We strongly believe that it doesn’t take gods to make pots.”

Full report of the international journalists’ delegation to Russia.

Projects